Incubite – Toxicum review

Label: ProNoize

With all the emphasis being placed on Metal, Synthpop and Ambient bands on the club circuit the last few months it is nice as a fan to see that Harsh Electro hasn’t faded away completely. It can be hard to début to any kind of fanfare if you sound too much like any one band, yet spoiled fans at least expect a proven club formula at the same time. The reality for Germany’s newest Harsh Electro stunner Incubite is Toxicum (available on ProNoize Records) is instantly familiar and strongly unique.

While much has been made of the sameness of Harsh Electro as a subgenre the fans and underground club-goers are still flocking to it more than other, more experimental genres . The bands that are tightest technically and most unusual sonically seem to get more attention. Incubite follow the proven formula of 4-to-the-floor thudding beats with movie samples and lyrically catchy dance choruses to create instant club classics. What sets them apart and makes this something special is the variety of the electronic layering and the frenetic energy that the beats come at you with. The first standout track is the massively catchy “Glowstix, Neon and Blood” which boasts a familiar TBM beat structure matched to an off-kilter melody-as-hook that felt a bit militaristic to me. “Hell Instructor” is something closer to a Terror EBM track with some restrained knob-fiddling ambience to it, while “Toxicum (Ready To Exterminate)” is a Powernoise and Terror fusion anthem guaranteed to be a dance-floor filler for years to come. In fact this was the best overall track on the album in my opinion and takes its place as the title track to show exactly what to expect from the band .

The flip side to this is that Incubite is not reinventing the wheel here, it’s just bringing you a different kind of tire. While it is true there are an almost limitless number of subgenres represented on this album it never commits to one sound 100% at any point, and that may alienate a handful of uninformed fans. Trying to stay both unique and relevant at the same time is a tough road to walk but for the most part Toxicum stomps you right into it. DJs snag this and give it a spin and everybody else keep watch for the rise of Incubite!